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Valium Withdrawals

What is Valium (Diazepam)?

Valium is used to relieve anxiety and to control agitation caused by alcohol withdrawal. It is also used along with other medications to control muscle spasms and spasticity caused by certain neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy (a condition that causes difficulty with movement and balance), paraplegia (inability to move parts of the body), athetosis (abnormal muscle contractions), and stiff-man syndrome (a rare disorder with muscle rigidity and stiffness). Valium is also used along with other medications to control seizures. Valium is in a class of medications called benzodiazepines. It works by calming abnormal overactivity in the brain. [1]

Diazepam, first marketed as Valium, is a medicine of the benzodiazepine family that acts as an anxiolytic. It is commonly used to treat a range of conditions, including anxiety, seizures, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, benzodiazepine withdrawal syndrome, muscle spasms, insomnia, and restless legs syndrome.

Some prescription drugs, such as Valium, are more addictive than others. Most addictive drugs affect your brain’s reward system by flooding it with dopamine. This results in a pleasurable “high” that can motivate you to take the drug again. Over time, you might become dependent on the drug to feel “good” or “normal.” You might also develop a tolerance to the drug. This can push you to take larger doses. 

Signs of Valium Addiction

  • Taking medication that isn’t prescribed to you or misusing your medication
  • Spending money on drugs even when money is an issue
  • Hiding your drugs and always keeping a supply
  • You use or want to use the substance regularly
  • Sudden anger or aggression when sober
  • You feel out of control
  • You experience symptoms of withdrawal once you stop using the substance
  • People who have Valium addiction often struggle to talk about how they feel. This is because drugs block out realistic information that can help them stop using
  • You might need more and more drugs to feel high, which could mean that you have developed a tolerance for the drug you are taking
  • If you have a Valium addiction problem, it could cause a lot of problems with your relationships and make you feel anxious
  • You do things that others think are strange or morally wrong to obtain the drug, like stealing or lying about things
  • You try and fail to stop Valium addiction
Valium Withdrawals
Chronic misuse of Valium can lead to the development of severe physical dependence and valium withdrawals.

Valium Withdrawal Symptoms

 Possible Valium withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Restlessness
  • Hand tremors
  • Muscle spasms
  • Headache
  • Sweating
  • Delirium
  • Grand mal seizures
  • Feelings of unreality
  • Racing pulse
  • Hyperventilation
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Aches and pains
  • Panic attacks
  • Hypersensitivity to stimuli like light and touch
  • Abnormal bodily sensations (skin-crawling, goosebumps)
  • Depression
  • Problems with concentration and memory
  • Visual disturbances (flashes of light or blurred vision)
  • Auditory, tactile, or visual hallucinations

Valium Withdrawal Timeline

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), withdrawal symptoms from short-acting benzos such as valium withdrawals peak on the second day and improve by the fourth or fifth. However, some people find they last for several weeks. [2] Estimates suggest that 10 to 25 percent of chronic benzo users experience what’s known as protracted withdrawal.

Protracted withdrawal is a long-term withdrawal syndrome that may come and go for several months. Symptoms will be milder than acute withdrawal and they can disappear for weeks at a time. Protracted withdrawal rarely lasts longer than one year.

Valium Withdrawals Insomnia

Ironically, many of the symptoms of long-term Valium abuse, such as anxiety and sleeplessness, are the same concerns that the medication was prescribed to treat. If overuse of the drug continues, these symptoms are likely to get worse.

Valium Withdrawals Anxiety

Can Valium be used long-term for anxiety? While Valium can be extremely beneficial at relieving the immediate effects of severe anxiety, it is not something that should be used for the prolonged treatment of anxiety disorders. Valium, like other benzodiazepines, is a highly addictive substance and can therefore elicit dependency quickly.

Causes of Valium Withdrawals

Valium is a benzodiazepine medication that can cause seizures during the withdrawal process. As a result, it’s best for people with a Valium addiction to enter a formal addiction treatment program. In rehab, patients can move through withdrawal with the help of a qualified medical team. Then, comprehensive therapy can help people address the root causes of Valium addiction and acquire the skills necessary for lifelong sobriety.

Worldwide, more than 2 billion Valium tablets were sold in a single calendar year. More than 500 derivative drugs have been made with this drug, Valium being the most well-known brand name. The World Health Organization considers Valium to be an essential medicine that should be an inherent part of a basic health system. The drug’s effectiveness and range of conditions it treats have made it a household name. [3]

Valium Withdrawals
If you have been using Valium for an extended period of time, you’re likely to experience some Valium withdrawals when you stop or reduce your use.

The widespread use of this drug for both treatment and recreational uses has led millions of people to become dependent on Valium. Many have lost money, years of their lives, and relationships to Valium addiction.

Valium addiction is a complex issue that requires long-term treatment – not a quick fix. The first step in overcoming Valium addiction is to seek help from your medical provider or a trained professional. Clearing prescription drugs from the body and overcoming withdrawal symptoms is the goal of detox, which is the first step of treatment for prescription drug addiction

If you are addicted to drugs, your very first step in recovery should be to medical detox in a safe and medically supervised setting. We Level Up TX detox center medically assist clients to clear their systems of addictive substances.

For anyone who suffers from addiction, just the thought of having to stop using can cause severe mental distress. Given that, the medical detox process is managed with the help of a medical detox center. A comprehensive team prescribing medications can alleviate your withdrawal pains while monitoring your health 24 hours. Assuring both your safety and comfort.

Treatment for Withdrawal

The best way to quit benzos, such as Valium, is to avoid withdrawal by asking your doctor to taper down your dose. Tapering means taking progressively smaller doses over the course of a few weeks or months. 

You can taper your dose on your own, but it is best to work with a doctor. Depending on which benzodiazepine you are currently taking, your doctor may want to switch you to a different one before your taper begins. Short-acting benzos complicate withdrawal with too many ups and downs. Diazepam, long-acting benzo, is the most common choice for dose tapering. 

There is no standard tapering schedule for you to follow. Your doctor will help make an individualized tapering schedule based on your current dose and particular circumstances. Some people taper quickly, finishing up within two to three weeks. Others taper slowly over the course of several months. During your taper, you may still experience some of the symptoms of withdrawal. This can happen after each dose reduction. [4]

If your symptoms are intolerable, your doctor can pause or slow down the taper. Most doctors choose not to reverse the taper and up the dose in response to withdrawal symptoms. To cope with these breakthrough symptoms, it helps to have a backup plan for dealing with anxiety. Helpful strategies include:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Meditation
  • Mindfulness training
  • Exercise

Some people, such as those with a history of complicated withdrawal, seizures, or severe mental illness, maybe better suited for in an inpatient setting. This can involve living at a detox facility or hospital for several weeks, where you can receive constant medical monitoring and psychological support. Quitting benzos means that underlying psychiatric symptoms can reemerge worse than ever before. These may include:

  • Panic attacks
  • OCD symptoms
  • PTSD symptoms
  • Severe anxiety
  • Obtrusive thoughts
  • Depression

Inpatient treatment can be very expensive, depending on the facility, but it is covered by many insurance companies.

Valium Withdrawals
Abruptly stopping Valium, rather than slowly tapering from the drug, increases the likelihood of severe withdrawal and certain withdrawal complications. Contact We Level Up TX for professional help and safe Valium detox.

Valium Detox

We Level Up Texas Valium withdrawals and addiction treatment tailors the program to the individual and the individual to the program of recovery. We begin by assessing our client’s history of mental health, drugs, and alcohol-related past. The needs of each patient are specific and personalized, as we aim to provide comprehensive support for mental health, addiction, and dual diagnosis treatment.

Clients at We Level Up Texas residential rehab programs will live comfortably within the facility during this crucial and fragile time. This supportive environment is designed to give clients 24-hour care for sobriety, removing temptations for relapse and applying an air of recovery into every component of the treatment timeline. We Level Up TX treatment center, we find that when patients are living in a supportive community, especially during their early recovery process, they can truly focus on what matters most: their recovery.

Make this your opportunity to reclaim your life. Call today to speak with one of our treatment specialists.

Sources:

[1] Diazepam – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Institutes of Health
[2] https://www.psychiatry.org / Hood SD, Norman A, Hince DA, Melichar JK, Hulse GK. Benzodiazepine dependence and its treatment with low-dose flumazenil. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2014;77(2):285-94. doi:10.1111/bcp.12023
[3] How to Spot Valium Addiction Signs, Symptoms and Treatment – https://americanaddictioncenters.org/valium-treatment
[4] How Long Does Withdrawal From Benzodiazepines Last? – https://www.verywellmind.com/benzodiazepine-withdrawal-4588452